Why does digital marketing matter?

The fact is consumers are turning ever more to the online market place. Here are four reasons it’s vital to digitally market your small business.

Keep Searching

When it comes to making decisions for small business services, scores of customers now use online research to assist their choices.

75% of consumers go online to research businesses; four out of every ten will rely on social media or review sites to do their research.

If your business is not visible to search engine results, when potential clients are looking for your kind of service, they won’t see you; they will however see your competitors.

Simple tactics like creating SEO content relating to your business helps, but it needs more. You need to have a flexible strategy, adaptable to the ever-changing landscape, whilst ensuring that your methods are data-powered and targeted to your key markets.

Stay Mobile

It’s not enough to simply have a website and a blog anymore. Whilst computers remain popular devices, many consumers are turning to smartphones (for some niches this is up to 80 percent in 2015).

In 2015 over half of consumers performed local searches on their mobile devices, yet most small business owners don’t have websites that perform well on mobile phones.

There is nothing as frustrating as finding the service you want, but not being able to access it when you are out and about. It’s unlikely someone who has a negative experience on your site on their mobile phone will take the time to revisit it on a PC, so it is essential you optimize your site for mobile use.

Then you need to take the time and effort to ensure it appears on the search engines, maps and business directories your potential customers are using to find local services.

The Price is Right

Digital marketing is very cost effective and can be extremely efficient.

Expensive newspaper adverts and TV campaigns – still useful with the budget – are beyond the reach of many small businesses. For a fraction of the price, digital marketing can enable you to reach customers who are already looking for your kinds of service, and engage with them quicker than before.

40% of the world’s population are using the internet, with access expanding every day, which means there are a great deal of potential customers within your reach.

Stay competitive

Digital marketing is used by over 60% of small businesses, meaning that if you don’t have a digital marketing strategy, you are in the minority. As long as you are not visible to potential customers, they are finding out about your competition, giving them sales instead of you.

People have more access to the online world than ever before. Online search is already a big part of the customer experience. It looks unlikely that that is going to change; in fact, it’s almost certain the importance of the online market is going to continue to increase exponentially. Any business that doesn’t tap into that market is going to end up losing out on all that potential return.